Dogs shed heat through their paws and by panting, and neither does much in a warm room with no draught through it. Something cool to lie against does the rest of the job for them, which is why so many end up flat out on the kitchen tiles by the middle of July. This round pad gives them a cool surface of their own, with a cushioned border to rest a head or a chin on.

The centre panel is filled with CMC cooling gel, which works by drawing heat out of whatever lies on it, so there is no fridge, no water and no power involved. The border is padded polyester fibre, which means the pad is not simply a cold slab: your pet gets a cool middle and a soft edge, and can shuffle between the two as they need to. Two sizes are offered, 50 cm and 65 cm across.

• CMC cooling gel centre panel
• Padded polyester fibre border to rest against
• Two sizes: 50 cm and 65 cm
• Round shape suits dogs and cats
• No refrigeration, water or power needed
• Blue, green or pink

On how cooling gel actually behaves. It absorbs body heat, so it feels coolest when your pet first lies down, warms gradually under continuous contact, then recovers once they get off. That is normal rather than a fault, but it does mean a gel mat supplements shade, ventilation and fresh water instead of replacing them. Keep it away from a dog who chews, because a punctured gel panel is the end of the mat.

What the options mean. Sizes run from S to L — £24.99 for the smallest, £29.99 for the largest.

Who it's for: Dogs and cats who struggle in summer heat, particularly flat-faced and heavy-coated breeds.